The Basic Court in Pristina has identified Milan Radoičić as responsible for the assassination of Serbian politician Oliver Ivanović, and has sentenced four co-accused individuals to over 22 years in prison combined. The court found that Radoičić, the former deputy leader of “Srpska Lista” (Serbian List), led an organized criminal group that orchestrated the murder on January 16, 2018, in North Mitrovica and took actions to destroy evidence to obstruct investigations. The court concluded that the group had a clear structure, significant criminal and political influence, operated with the support of the Serbian state, and blackmailed political rivals, including Ivanović, who refused to succumb to their demands.
The full written judgment, secured by “Betimi për Drejtësi” and signed by the presiding judge, Valon Kurtaj, details the court’s findings.
Organized Crime Group and Political Motive
The judgment states that the defendants were part of an organized criminal group that had operated for a long time in northern Kosovo, under the leadership of Milan Radoičić and Zvonko Veselinović, both of whom are wanted by justice authorities in Kosovo. Radoičić is also accused in the case of the terrorist attack in Banjska.
“From these verified facts, the existence of this organized criminal group has been proven, that the same had an organizational structure led by Milan Radoičić, and that this criminal group, in addition to control in the criminal sphere, also had control over political life. Being involved in the structures of the ‘…’ party and preventing any political rivalry, even leading to the murder of the now deceased Ivanović, because he did not submit to the demands of this group to also politically join this group and withdraw from the electoral campaign as a sole party, a demand of Serbian state structures,” the judgment states.
The court further emphasized that this group not only organized Ivanović’s murder but also the disappearance of case evidence with the aim of sabotaging investigations by the authorities of the Republic of Kosovo.
According to the judgment, a fragile security situation and a climate of threats and political blackmail, exercised by the criminal group under Milan Radoičić’s control, existed in the northern part of Mitrovica and surrounding municipalities. This group was involved in criminal activities and exerted significant political influence, aiming to eliminate any political rival to the Serbian List, a entity which, according to evidence cited in the judgment, enjoyed direct support from the Serbian state.
Witnesses cited in the judgment, including D.S., K.B., M.I., C.I., V.N., H.N., S.J., and R.R., confirmed the existence of this criminal group and the danger Oliver Ivanović faced due to his political convictions and stances.
The judgment confirms Ivanović was killed on January 16, 2018, in North Mitrovica, around 08:14, by perpetrators from this criminal group. His murder is considered a result of political rivalries, as he had not submitted to the group’s demands to stop his campaign and align with the Serbian List’s political agenda.
Sentences and Remaining Accused
On June 28, 2024, the Basic Court in Pristina issued a guilty verdict against Nedeljko Spasojević, Marko Rošić, Dragisha Marković, and Zharko Jovanović, sentencing them to over 22 years in prison combined.
- For Nedeljko Spasojević, the court re-qualified the criminal offense from organized crime to misuse of official duty, for which he was found guilty and sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison. He was also found guilty of unauthorized possession of weapons. The court found that he was present at the scene but failed to secure it.
- For Dragisha Marković, the court found that the offense of revealing official secrets was not proven. However, Marković and Zharko Jovanović, as police officers, were found to have failed to take necessary actions at the crime scene, allowing evidence to be compromised and unauthorized persons to intervene. Jovanović was also found guilty of unauthorized possession of weapons.
- For Marko Rošić, the court found him to be an active part of the criminal group, participating in the burning of the victim’s car and monitoring his movements, thereby contributing to the assassination.
The court’s decision also included a dismissal of charges against Rade Basara, as the Special Prosecution withdrew its indictment against him during closing arguments.
For Silvana Arsović, despite the prosecution’s claims based on security camera deactivation and reactivation around the time of the murder, the court found no evidence linking her to the organized criminal group.
The Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo (PSRK) had previously filed an indictment against Milan Mihajlović on December 27, 2023, in connection with Ivanović’s murder, charging him with four criminal offenses.
